Bed-spring tightener.



H. LA ROE.

BED SPRING TIGHTENER- APPLICATION F'ILED OCT- 20, 1916.

Patented July 16, 1918.

O D n U D 3 nvaMo e Ear -9m zwv 6. In the act of positioning the clamp the hooks or engaging devices 18 are adjusted onto the ends of the side rails of the frame 6, after which the handles 1919 are'turned so as to cause opposlte pulls on the spring- 5 and hooks 18 suflicient to cause the latter to bind on the side rails of the frame 6. The operator now disengages that end of the spring which is nearest to the clamp a from the end of the frame 6, after which the-handles 19 are turned in the direction necessary to enable the screws-cooperating with the nuts 16 to advance or move the clamp a bodily toward the hooks 18. This movement on the part of the clamp fora required distance has the effect of tensioning; the spring 5 to the required degree. In

the act of tightening the spring it will be noted that the free end thereof is held against displacement by spring holding devices 11' and 12 and not solely by the binding action of the jaws 7 and 8, so that the relatively small amount of pressure exerted by these jaws on the spring will not operate to distort or damage the spring fabric. It will be further noted that the provision of the oblong openings 13 permits of operating the crank handles 19 one at a time or each independently of the other in'that these will have to be removed previous to the stretching oft'he spring, and replaced and the proper tension when the clamp a has been removed.

When the device is used as a fence wire stretcher the elements 14, 15, 16, and 18 may be eliminated prior to securing one end of the woven wire 20 between the jaws 7 and 8 as shown When the wire is so secured the ends of a chain 21 are attached to the. opposite end portionsof the clampfa? so that when a block and tackle such as is indicated M22 is engaged with the middle por-' tion of the chain 21 the woven wire 20 may be stretched between the posts 23 in the ordinary manner.

What is claimed as new is:

In a bed spring tightener a clamp including a pairof jaws and clamp screws passing through said jaws, one of saidjaws having formed therein oblong openings and hollow movable screw threaded elements in ahne ment with said openings, the other of said jaws having means adapted to prevent rotation of said threaded elements and to a] low of their adjustment along said oblong openings, a pair of hooks adapted for con- .nection to one end of a bed spring frame and provided with transverse openings, and adjusting screws-rotatably mounted in the openings of the jaw and hooks and screwed into the said screw threaded elements.

In testimony whereof, I have signed 'my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of Sept. 1916. v

HENRY'LA ROE. Witnesses:

R. J. MARTIN, LENA DAVIS.

coplel 01. this potent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

